divider

Research Snapshot: Mental well-being and coping strategies of Canadian adolescents during COVID-19

The mental well-being and coping strategies of Canadian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

What you need to know

There is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on the mental and emotional well-being of adolescents. Various countries, such as Canada, India, Nigeria and China, have shown an increase in mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety and self-harm. However, qualitative research is lacking on the mental well-being of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the feelings and emotions adolescents experienced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the coping strategies they identified and employed to manage those emotions.

What is this research about?

There is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on the mental and emotional well-being of adolescents. There has been a great deal of disruption in adolescents’ daily routines (e.g., school closures, being isolated at home, cancellations of social gatherings/events and a loss of important milestones), leading to an increase in anxiety, depression and self-harm. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety and self-harm in Ontario, Canada. Similar findings have been found in other parts of the world.

This study aimed to answer the following two questions:

  1. What feelings and emotions have you experienced around the pandemic?
  2. What coping strategies have you used during the pandemic?

The study also captured self-rated mental health, stress and psychological distress before and during COVID-19 restriction measures.

What did the researchers do?

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Canada to understand the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions (e.g., physical distancing and stay-at-home orders) on adolescents’ mental and emotional well-being. The data was collected during the initial wave of the pandemic, from June to September 2020. The researchers recruited participants aged 13–19 years and living in Canada. They excluded those who were not in the eligible age range, those who were living outside of Canada and those who were unable to complete the survey in English or French.

The online survey included the following two optional open-ended questions:

  1. What feelings and emotions have you experienced around the pandemic?
  2. What coping strategies have you used during the pandemic?

The online survey also included questions about self-rated mental health, stress and psychological distress before and during COVID-19 restriction measures.

What did the researchers find?

The researchers analyzed data from 851 Canadian adolescents. The average age of respondents was 15.6 years and the majority of respondents lived in large urban centres.

The researchers identified two broad categories:

  1. Feelings and emotions associated with the pandemic
  2. Coping strategies used during the pandemic

Within these two broad categories, they further went on to identify five major themes and 22 subthemes as follows:

Feelings and emotions associated with the pandemic

Sociospatial and temporal disconnections

There were five subthemes identified under this major theme, outlining the disconnections adolescents experienced across time, place and social relationships:

  1. facing challenges navigating stay-at-home orders, especially learning through online schooling while being isolated at home
  2. missing in-person interactions, support and connections
  3. missing milestones and opportunities (e.g., high school graduation, beginning postsecondary education and sports)
  4. feeling disconnected, lonely and isolated from the rest of the world
  5. feeling uneasy and distressed about the future, which led to adolescents feeling anxious and nervous.
Emotional toll of the pandemic

There were four subthemes identified under this major theme, outlining the emotional toll the pandemic had on adolescents’ lives:

  1. being aware of and concerned for the safety of others and themselves
  2. feeling broken down and feeling a loss of independence, happiness and motivation
  3. experiencing a cycle of emotions (e.g., feeling happy one second and then angry the next)
  4. struggling with suicidal thoughts because of the isolation and loneliness.
Positives amid the pandemic

There were three subthemes identified under this major theme, focusing on positive outcomes because of the pandemic:

  1. feeling more at ease, with less stress and pressure from daily activities, including schoolwork and extracurricular-related stress
  2. being more connected to friends and loved ones because of more time spent at home and access to online platforms
  3. experiencing self-reflection, growth and care, allowing adolescents to focus more on themselves and organize their thoughts.

Coping strategies used during the pandemic

Connecting online and outdoors:

There were three subthemes identified under this major theme, focusing on coping strategies to help adolescents through the pandemic:

  1. connecting online through video calls, texting, playing video games together and social media
  2. connecting with family by engaging in more activities together, such as playing games, going for walks or just hanging out
  3. visiting friends and/or family outdoors.
Leisure and health-promoting activities

There were seven subthemes identified under this major theme, focusing on the leisure and health-promoting activities that adolescents engaged in to cope with the pandemic:

  1. engaging in physical activity
  2. being outside to get some fresh air
  3. playing video games
  4. cooking or baking
  5. practicing arts such as crafts, music and dance
  6. reading
  7. watching television or movies.

The researchers found that even though adolescents faced many challenges during COVID-19, there were positive outcomes due to the pandemic, such as feeling more at ease, experiencing less stress and pressure and feeling more connected with friends and loved ones. Adolescents adopted positive coping strategies to mitigate their distress, including health-promoting activities (e.g., physical activity), safe peer interactions (e.g., connecting online or outside) and hobbies (e.g., cooking and baking). Physical activity was reported as the most important coping mechanism and included incorporating exercise into daily routines, going for walks with family members or working on sport-specific skills.

Overall, the researchers found that the negative emotions adolescents experienced led to a decline in their mental well-being.

Limitations of the research

The researchers note that their study had several limitations. Because the data was collected during the first wave of the pandemic, responses were based on the situation at that time or if a family member or friend was affected. The surveys were offered in English and French, but all responses to the open-ended questions were in English, which may have affected the data in favour of one language. Also, the study results may have been affected by non-response bias because more female adolescents completed the survey than male adolescents did.

Furthermore, the researchers were unable to interview or conduct focus groups with the adolescents, which would have captured more detail than the two open-ended survey questions. In addition, because the study was conducted with an online survey, participants required access to a digital device as well as the Internet to participate. Lastly, the survey did not mention family-related trauma.

How can you use this research?

The researchers suggest that though more research is needed, the results have an important implication for public health policy and practice. Future research should focus on the importance of accessible mental health resources for those experiencing psychological distress. Furthermore, public health policies should also recognize and support young people’s positive coping strategies and work to facilitate safe peer interactions.

About the researchers

Kendra Nelson Ferguson1,2,3­­, Stephanie E. Coen1,4, Danielle Tobin1,2­­­, Gina Martin1,3,5, Jamie A. Seabrook1,3,6, Jason A. Gilliland1,2,3

  1. Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON, Canada
  2. Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada
  3. Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada
  4. School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
  5. Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada
  6. School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College at Western University, London, ON, Canada

See more related to